Heartlines
by carebear88
Summary: Rumpelstiltskin is human again. And a new Dark One has taken Belle prisoner. Sequel to 'Wayward'
1. Trapped

Ch 1.

Rumpelstiltskin had been walking across the Enchanted Forest for three days, and all he had to show for it were calloused feet and stubborn determination. He was a man now. He no longer had his powers, so he couldn't vaporize to wherever he wanted anymore. He couldn't use magic to find the new Dark One, nor could he summon a carriage with the snap for his fingers. Given his history, he probably couldn't even find anyone sympathetic to his dilemma. Still, he pressed on.

Because he was a man. And men, real men, fought for love.

Rumpelstiltskin had gathered as much spun gold from his castle as he could. He filled his leather knapsack with potions (mere gusts of wind to someone as powerful as the Dark One, but useful, nonetheless), and began on foot to find Belle.

He felt no fear. He walked without a stick or a hint of a limp. And yet, every passing hour, his heart thudded faster, fear tickling his nerves and disturbing his sleep. Belle had been taken by this obsessive madman, a dark force that had once been a naïve boy. He didn't dare think of what Jack was doing with Belle, but an image here or there managed to seep through. Late at night, when Rumpel was nestled under a fallen tree to rest, he swore he could still hear Belle's blood-curdling scream.

On the fourth day, his provisions low and his legs aching, Rumpelstiltskin made it to Beansville and begged anyone who would listen to help him. Most didn't recognize him as a man, and dismissed him a crazy person talking nonsense. A barmaid at the tavern took pity on him and gave him a pint of ale and some food. When he flashed the spun gold in front of her, the stocky woman gasped and offered him everything in the house. He asked for a horse and received the fastest one in the stables.

As Rumpelstiltskin rode through the village, he was stopped on the road by an old woman in a gray shawl. "Move aside, madam, please!"

"I know what you're doing," the old woman said. "You're looking for my son."

He peered at her from atop his white mare. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mother Hubbard. Jack was my son."

"I have to find him," Rumpelstiltskin said. "He took my—"

"I know," Mother Hubbard said. She had a beaten, down-trodden look, as though she had lost a loved one or even a child. "He's changed. He said he was going to kill the beast, and he became one." Her eyes glossed over and she looked away, far off into the distance. "I was too hard on him. I told him he was weak and that the girl would never love him . . . and now he's—"

"Was she with him? The girl?"

Mother Hubbard shook her head. "No. He asked me to join him at the castle, but I refused. I want no part of his wicked magic."

"Which castle?"

The old woman jutted her thumb over her shoulder. "Lord Buckland's estate. By Lumier Falls."

Rumpelstiltskin knew where that was. He had made a deal once as the Dark One with Lord Buckland, and the mustached Lord had paid his debt timely and without fuss. His estate was also near Belle's father's castle. Rumpelstiltskin took a few strands of spun gold from his knapsack and held them out to the old woman.

"Thank you," he said.

Mother Hubbard eyed the gold, then took it. She studied Rumpelstiltskin's face. "My son killed you to become the Dark One. It was true love that brought you back."

Rumpel nodded. "Aye."

Mother Hubbard stepped to the side off the road. "Let's hope true love can save your girl."

0000000

Everyone was dead.

Belle could still hear the screams of the people who lived in this castle, men and women pleading for their lives as Jack took them out with the sweep of his hand. She witnessed, huddled in a corner with her eyes peering through her fingers, as Lords and Ladies ran from him in a panic.

"Please let us go!" they cried. "Let us live!"

But no one was spared. Not even the children.

Belle sat on the edge of the four-poster bed of Lady Buckland's room, moonlight streaming through the tall windows. It was an old-fashioned room with polished cherry wood furniture and powder-blue walls. The heavy green drapes were open, revealing a large balcony overlooking a tall waterfall off in the mountains. Lumier Falls. Though Belle didn't know the Buckland's, she used to visit the falls with her father every summer and look up at the white-stoned castle with admiration.

Belle felt queasy again. She had been feeling ill every day since being taken by Jack. It was hard enough sleeping in a dead woman's bed, but she had to relive the massacre every night in her dreams. Their pleading. Their tears. The way their bodies just disappeared like smoke. And the children—

Belle rushed to the balcony and threw up over the side. She heaved and cried, tears spilling down her face. It had been four days and still no one had come for her. She could feel herself dying in this castle, with no one but Jack's twisted soul as company. It ate her insides like a maggot feasting on a dead rat.

"Please," she whispered. "Please someone come."

It was useless praying. Even though Rumpelstiltskin was looking for her, he wouldn't know where she was. No one knew, except for the souls of the dead that no doubt lingered in the corners of the castle. She was trapped.

"Still sick, my love?"

Belle gasped and whipped around. Jack was standing behind her, his back to the lattice doors that lead into the bedroom. He had a bad habit of appearing randomly and when she was most vulnerable. His ghost-white skin practically glowed in the moonlight, blue veins wiggling beneath his skin like worms. His red eyes undressed her unsavorily, lips curled in a disturbing smile. He had stayed out of her bedchambers this long, but she could tell he was getting impatient.

Jack held out his ice-cold hand. "Dinner time."

Belle shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

Jack tilted his head to the side. "You're still angry with me, aren't you?"

Belle could have laughed if she wasn't so scared. Angry didn't being to describe her feelings towards him. He tried to kill the man she loved, took her away from her home, and was holding her hostage after killing an entire family. She could have stabbed him right here and now if she had the chance.

Jack smiled wider, almost as if he could read her thoughts. "I'm not much different than him, you know. Your Rumpelstiltskin."

"He's _nothing_ like you," Belle said.

"He's killed before."

"Not like this. Never children."

"It was necessary for us, my dear." Jack moved closer and put his hand on her cheek. "If we want to start a life of our own—"

Belle jerked herself away from him and turned, her stomach souring again. She put a hand over her mouth. "Oh, God . . ."

"Just imagine how powerful our child will be." Jack placed his long, bony fingers on Belle's shoulders. "With your beauty and my magic—"

"Never!" Belle cried. She pushed past the Dark One and ran into her room. "I will _never_ be yours!"

"You'll change your mind," Jack said, entering the room. He moved around the bed and faced Belle again. "If you could love Rumpelstiltskin, you can learn to love me."

Belle shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "This isn't you, Jack. You're not like this. You were kind and decent and—"

"Weak!" the Dark One yelled. "I was weak and cowardly! Never again!"

"Please—!"

Jack wrapped his hand around Belle's throat and lowered her onto the bed. She tried gasping through his clutch but could only let out a sob. Once she was on her back, the Dark One laid his head on her breast. He breathed out deeply, eyes fluttering to a close. Belle's chest rose and fell quickly and her greatest fear came to surface: he was going to defile her.

Instead, Jack released his hand from her neck and slowly trailed his fingers down to her collar bone, then to the valley between her breasts, until finally he rested his hand atop her stomach. The yellow silk of her dress was smooth like buttermilk and she smelled like lavender. Belle held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Just imagine," Jack whispered. "A small one to call our own. He'll be so powerful."

Jack lightly kissed under Belle's chin and raised himself from the bed. Belle lay silently, trembling with just a single tear rolling towards her temple. It would not happen tonight. Tonight, she was still whole.

"Join me for dinner," Jack said. "That's not a request." He flew out the door in one quick, fluid motion, slamming it on his way out.

Belle curled up on her side and cried loudly. Her body shuddered with each gasp of breath. She couldn't endure this much longer. Sooner or later, Jack would find his way to her most private and sacred space, with or without her consent.

"Please," Belle prayed between sobs. "Please find me, Rumpelstiltskin."

**To be continued**


	2. Nightside

Ch 2

Belle awoke in the middle of the night with an idea. It was small and hazy at first, but began to take shape the longer she thought about it. Lady Buckland had a garden at the side of the house with tall hedges and exotic flowers, including a poisonous blue floret called Nightside. Belle knew this because she could smell it with the windows open—it gave off a strong, earthy scent like leaves after a rainstorm, except after it had been picked.

The next day, Belle asked Jack if she could take a turn through the garden. "I thought about what you said last night," she said. "I'd like to pick some flowers for the centerpiece at the table. We can talk about our future over lunch."

Jack tented his fingers together and grinned at Belle from his armchair by the fire. "You want flowers for our lunch today?"

Belle nodded.

Jack rose from the chair, waved his hand in the air, and a bouquet of red roses appeared in his hand. He held them out to Belle. "There. Simple."

"Please, Jack," Belle said. "It would mean a lot to me."

Jack relented. He watched her from the window as she clipped lilacs and hydrangeas and put them in her satchel. She ducked behind a tall hedge and followed the smell to the Nightside. The large blue flowers were wilting in the afternoon sun, the edges of the silky petals shriveling slightly. Belle picked three of them and put them in the corset of her dress. When she came back to the castle, she showed Jack her satchel of blossoms.

"Do you like them?"

Jack reached out and stroked Belle's cheek. It took every muscle in her body not to turn away. "They're beautiful."

Belle forced a smile. "I was thinking I could make us a stew."

Jack laughed. "I have all the power in the realm and you still insist on cooking?"

Belle shrugged. "If I'm to be your wife—"

"My wife?" Jack's face, though hideous, softened at the word. He looked almost as he did when he was human—hopeful, exposed, and utterly smitten. Belle almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Jack smiled. "That would be lovely."

Belle sweated as she worked in the kitchen, not because the stove was hot, but because she dreaded every possible negative outcome of her plan. What if he didn't eat the stew? What if it had no effect on him? Worse, what if he discovered the Nightside and made her pay for her insolence? She would never see daylight again.

As the stew simmered, Belle minced the Nightside finely and scraped it into the pot. The purple flakes dotted the golden broth and, just as she thought they would stay like that, noticeable to the naked eye, the petals dissolved into the liquid. Belle breathed a sigh of relief.

She brought the lunch upstairs to the dining hall and arranged the hydrangeas and lilacs in a gold vase. Jack watched her from his seat at the table, a finger on his chin, one brow cocked slightly. As Belle ladled stew into his gilded bowl, Jack asked, "What made you change your mind?"

Belle looked at him. "What?"

"About me."

"Oh." Belle eyed the pot of stew nervously, then shrugged. "I guess I realized you were right last night, about you and Rumpelstiltskin being the same. It's silly to think I couldn't fall in love with you the same way I fell in love with him."

Jack chuckled. "The heart is a fickle thing, isn't it?"

Belle faked a smile. "Yes." She poured herself a small amount of stew and sat at her chair.

Jack raised his glass of wine. "Here's to us."

Belle raised hers. "To us." She took a sip and set the goblet down. She watched from the corner of her eye as Jack stirred his soup with his spoon.

"Smells divine," he said.

Belle took her spoon and dipped it in the stew. She had no intention of eating it, not when one drop could kill her—paralyzing her first, then slowly burning her insides until she died of dehydration. She was afraid to even smell it, but she had to keep up her ruse if she wanted to fool Jack.

"You're not eating?" he asked.

Belle's eyes snapped to him. Oh, no.

"I-I was waiting for you."

Jack bared his teeth in a grin. "I see." His brows furrowed in worry. "There isn't something wrong with the soup that I should know about, is there?"

Belle swallowed her breath. Her heart slammed against her chest and she was sure he could hear it. She shook her head. "No. Of course not."

"All right, then." Jack raised the spoon to his lips, then set it back in the bowl. "It couldn't be because you poisoned it with Nightside, is it?"

Belle's heart stopped. Her blood froze in her veins. "What?" she whispered.

Jack stood from his chair, so fast it fell on the floor, and threw his bowl against the wall. It clanged loudly, sending the soup flying in all directions. Belle shrieked.

"How could you _do_ this to me?" Jack yelled. He took the pot of soup and threw it at Belle.

Belle sprang to her feet in time to get away from the scorching liquid, but not fast enough for her arm to get away. The soup splashed on her left forearm, searing hot like a flash of lightning. Belle cried out and clutched her arm. It throbbed and screamed for ice.

"You lied to me!" Jack yelled.

"No!"

Jack grabbed the back of Belle's neck and forced her closer. "You made me believe you loved me!"

"I'm sorry," Belle sobbed. "Please, I—"

"SILENCE!"

Jack screamed the word so loudly, the mirrors that lined the great hall burst, sending shards of glass everywhere. Belle ducked, but a blade caught her cheek and she felt blood bubble to the surface of her face.

"You made me do this," Jack said through gritted teeth. "I tried to treat you well, but you betrayed me!" He pulled her through the castle by the back of her neck.

Belle was still reeling from the pain of the hot soup and the cut on her cheek to focus on where they were going. There were a few sets of doors, a twisting staircase to the cold, damp, cellar, until they finally stopped at a dungeon door. Jack waved his hand and opened the door. He threw Belle in and slammed it shut with another wave. His red eyes stared at her through the bars of the tiny window.

"If you won't be mine, then you won't be alone else's."

"Please, no!"

But he disappeared before Belle could finish. She crawled to a corner and sat against the wall. Her arm ached, blistering from the heat of the soup. The cut on her face was minor, enough to ignore it for now until she could figure out how to treat her arm. Belle ripped the hem of her dress and fashioned a bandage around the wound. She tied it tightly and sat back, gasping for breath.

The Nightside poison wouldn't seep into her skin, not unless she was bleeding, so she was careful not to touch her face. Belle looked around the dungeon cellar, the hard dirt floor, the cobwebs in the corner. It was pitch black, save for the torch on the wall across her cell. Belle squeezed her eyes shut, willing her tears not to flow. Crying was useless now.

"I'm a fool," Belle whispered.

She had been a fool to go into Beansville. She had been a fool to leave Rumpelstiltskin in the first place, to not fight harder for him the way he was no doubt fighting for her now. She wished she knew where he was.

A light caught Belle's eye. She looked to the corner of the cell by the door and blue light appeared, as small as a firefly. It grew larger and larger, until imploding into a small being with wings. Belle stood and gazed at it. She could hardly believe it. A woman with dark hair and a blue dress hovered towards her, as light as a hummingbird.

"Do not be frightened," the fairy said.

"Who are you?" Belle asked.

"I'm the Blue Fairy. I've come to help you."

The Blue Fairy. Belle had heard tales of the creature's powers, of all the good she had done for the people of the Enchanted Forest. Hope swelled in her heart. "Can you get me out of here?"

"I'm sorry," the fairy said. "My power is only strong enough to penetrate the castle walls. The new Dark One has cursed this place from the murder he has committed."

And just as it had come, the hope in Belle's heart was smothered like a fire doused in rain. "Then why are you here?" she asked.

"You have a great destiny, Belle," the Blue Fairy said. "You will bear a child someday that will have an extraordinary gift."

"A child? I-I don't—" A sob escaped Belle's throat. She looked at the fairy. "Whose child will it be?"

The fair shook her head. "That, I cannot say. But you must have faith."

"Faith? Faith in what? I'm trapped here! No one is coming!"

The Blue Fairy waved her wand, and a small hand-mirror appeared. Belle caught it before it could fall to the ground. "This mirror will allow you to see anything outside the castle walls."

Belle looked at the mirror, which only held her reflection, then back at the fairy. "I don't understand—"

"When the time comes, you'll know what to do." The Blue Fairy smiled. "Trust your heart." Her light faded, and she shrank smaller and smaller like a flame on a matchstick going out.

"No, wait!" Belle cried. "Please come back!"

But the fairy was gone.

Belle looked at the mirror again. It wasn't much, but at least someone knew where she was. At least now she had something from the outside world. She glanced out the window of the cell, then retreated to her corner. Belle took a shaky breath and said,

"Show me Rumpelstiltskin."

**To be continued**


	3. The Survivor

**A/N: Sorry for the long break. I finally had some time to write today, and I wanted to leave you guys with something. By the way, this story is inspired by Florence and the Machine's song "Heartlines." Give it a listen when you get the chance. :) As always, thanks so much for the reviews!**

* * *

Ch. 3

Rumpelstiltskin could see Lord Maurice's castle in the distance, between two large mountain formations. He guessed he was about three hours away from the Buckland Estate from the way the sun edged towards the west as the afternoon wore on. The horse huffed along, desperate for a rest and some water, but Rumpel couldn't stop now. He patted the leather pouch on his hip, feeling the vials of potions and food. On his right hip was probably his most important, and most dangerous, article—the fairy godmother's wand. He didn't dare use it yet, mostly because he didn't know if it would even work. He couldn't deal with that kind of disappointment now, not when it was the only chance he might have to save Belle.

A rustling in the trees stopped the horse in his tracks. The beast gave a whinny and Rumpel climbed off, holding the reins to keep him at bay. He unsheathed his dagger as the noise grew closer, the bush before him shaking with life. When a young woman appeared, his breath caught in his throat. The girl, no more than seventeen with long blonde hair and a cook's apron, looked more startled to see him than Rumpelstiltskin. Her hands flew up in a surrendering gesture.

"Please don't hurt me!" she cried.

Rumpel put his blade away and also held up his hands. "Don't be frightened. I won't hurt you." The girl whimpered and Rumpel feared she would break into tears at any moment. "Where did you come from?" he asked.

"Lord Buckland's estate," she said, lowering her hands.

Rumpelstiltskin brightened and moved closer. "You escaped? How?"

The girl pursed her quivering lips, her brown eyes bulging with tears. "I was a maid in the scullery. We were making bread for the house's breakfast and suddenly people were running and screaming and . . . my mother, she—"

"Everyone is dead?"

The girl nodded. "Aye. I hid in the dumbwaiter. Women were screaming and children were crying . . . and that man . . . that man with red eyes—" She sniffled as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "When it became quiet, I snuck into the dungeons. There's a tunnel underground that leads to the creek—"

"A tunnel?"

Again the girl nodded.

"Did you see a woman with him?"

She nodded. "The girl tried to help. She pleaded with the Dark One to spare some of the children, but he . . ." The girl blinked and looked at Rumpelstiltskin as if recalling something. "I remember you," she said. "You made a deal with Lord Buckland a few years ago. You're Rumpelstiltskin."

Rumpelstiltskin took a kerchief from his pouch and handed it to the girl. She wiped her eyes and nodded gratefully.

"What's your name, child?"

"Glissa," the young girl said. She sniffled again. "You're not the Dark One anymore?"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "But the new Dark One has my love. I'm going to fight him."

"You can't, he's too powerful!"

Rumpel smiled slightly. "I know a thing or two about power, dearie." He took the wand from his belt and held it before Glissa. The child gawked.

"That's fairy magic. Does it still work?"

"I suppose we'll see."

Rumpel looked around the forest, then instructed Glissa to stand back. He waved the wand at a tree, praying there was still some magic left even though he, himself, was mortal. A spark escaped the wand, and the large pine tree uprooted itself and flew across the forest, landing nearby with an earth-shattering thud.

Glissa yelped and jumped behind Rumpelstiltskin. When the fury subsided, he turned to her, eyes wide. "Well. I guess that answers our question." He sheathed the wand in his belt, a stronger determination taking root in his gut, and mounted his horse. He held his hand out to the young woman. "Climb on. We can reach the castle in an hour if we hurry.

Glissa shook her head. "I can't. I can't go back there."

"And I can't do this without your help," Rumpelstiltskin said. "Please, Glissa."

The young girl looked through the trees, towards a possible salvation. If she kept walking, she might hit a town soon, run away and try to forget everyone she had lost. Her mother, her father, her baby brother. But even if she did run, the threat of the Dark One still lingered, would probably haunt her dreams until she knew he was defeated.

Glissa gathered all the courage she could muster, then nodded. "Aye." She took Rumpel's hand and joined him on the saddle.

They rode quickly through the trees, the horse snorting and puffing with each clomp of his foot, dodging tree branches and fallen logs, the wind stinging their faces. When they reached a boulder beside a tall ravine, Glissa told him to stop the horse. The pair got off the horse and Rumpel looked up as the ravine wall touched towards the sky. He guessed the castle was somewhere beyond it.

"The tunnel is behind the boulder," Glissa said She hesitated, fear wearing her face into a frown.

Rumpelstiltskin took his leather pouch and emptied a vial with white liquid. "I need you to take this and guard it with your life."

"What is it?" Glissa asked.

He handed it to her. "It's a space-jump potion. It will take you from one distance to another in the blink of an eye."

Glissa scrunched her face. "I don't under—"

"You need to use it to bring Belle to safety."

The young girl shook her head. "If it's a space-jumper, why didn't you use it to travel to the castle?"

Rumpel gave her a sad smile. "It only works for women." He surveyed the rest of his pouch, made sure the wand was secure in his belt, and placed his hands on Glissa's shoulders. "I have a plan. But you must do exactly as I say, or we're all doomed."

Glissa's eyes bugged out. "No pressure."

"Please. I need you to be very brave. Can you do that?"

Glissa's face softened and she tilted her head. "I was so afraid of you as a child, when you came to Buckland. Everyone was."

Rumpel lowered his eyes. He didn't like to remember how dark he was back then, how ruthless and cold he could be.

"But you're good now. You're . . . nice."

Rumpelstiltskin could have cried. For the first time since losing Belle, he felt like a real human, capable of love and kindness and, yes, courage. "If you help me, I can avenge your family's death. I can continue to do good."

Glissa pressed her lips together again tightly, fighting back tears. She nodded. "I will help you. Tell me what I must do."

**To be continued**


	4. Found

Ch. 4

Before Belle could hear Rumpelstiltskin's plan, the mirror died out and faded back to her reflection. She shook it this way and that, tapping it a few times on the glass. "Show me Rumpelstiltskin!" she commanded.

Nothing.

But it was okay.

Hope filled her chest like a bath of warm water. He was coming to get her, not lost or hurt or in despair, but on his way this very moment. And he had help. A smile curled Belle's lips. All was not lost and she would be free of this prison soon, free to be with Rumpelstiltskin and marry him and bare his child that seemed to be so important to the Blue Fairy.

Belle tucked the small hand mirror in the back of her dress, between the laces of her corset. It poked her spine, but it would be safe from the prying eyes of Jack. Belle went to the barred window of the door and peered out at the darkness. A single torch on the wall was her only source of light, but it only extended as far as the next cell. There was no left or right, only black abyss. Belle prayed that girl, Glissa, knew how to navigate the dungeons.

A cold wind shivered up Belle's back. She gasped and whipped around, but there was nothing. She was imagining things, the dim, dank dungeon playing tricks on her mind. Another icy wind slapped her face, and suddenly her arm flew against the door, her wrist pinned as if a ghost was holding her in place. Her other wrist was slammed against the door, invisible shackles keeping her in place. Belle drew in a breath and whimpered as her dress was slowly lifted, inching up her creamy thigh. She could feel hot breath on her face, the breath of the Dark One. The front of her dress ripped, revealing more cleavage.

"No, please!" Belle cried.

"_You will have a child_," the fairy had said.

Belle gritted her teeth, but with no physical body before her, she had no way to fight off the phantom.

"_Whose child will it be_?"

Her dress traveled higher and higher, long, arctic fingers prying her flesh.

"_That, I cannot say_."

"Please, stop!" Belle cried. "Not like this . . ."

Not like this. It wasn't supposed to be this way her first time. She was supposed her have candlelight and a soft bed. She was supposed to have sweet whispers and feather-like kisses. She was supposed to have roses.

She wasn't supposed to have this.

A pair of teeth bit Belle's neck, not enough to bleed, but enough for her to cry out in pain. She raised her leg and kicked at the air, but it was as empty as she felt on the inside.

"Please, Jack," Belle whispered. A tear rolled down her cheek. "Please—"

A sudden explosion above ground rocked the cell, sending rocks and debris shaking from the ceiling. Belle was released and Jack appeared before her, dumbfounded. Belle gasped for breath, straightened her dress and held her hands over her nearly-exposed breasts.

Jack held up a finger to Belle as he stared at the ceiling. "Don't move," he said. Then he shimmered away as mysteriously as he had come.

Belle was frozen in shock, from Jack's attack, from the explosion upstairs, from the guess that it was Rumpelstiltskin coming to save her. Mostly, she was still reeling from nearly being defiled. Belle fumbled with the back of her dress and retrieved the mirror.

"Show me—" Belle stopped. She wasn't sure whose face to summon. Rumpelstiltskin must have had everything planned to a T, and she didn't want to risk messing it up. Still, how could Glissa find her in the winding halls of the dungeon, the endless turns and dark nooks?

Belle held the mirror at arm's length and said, "Show me light." When the mirror glowed a brilliant white light, the threw it out the window and into the dark corridor of the dungeon.

0000000

Rumpelstiltkin didn't anticipate blasting an entire wall of the castle with the fairy's wand, but it certainly got Jack's attention. The Dark One appeared in the grand foyer like a ghost, smiling sardonically as if he had been expecting Rumpel all day. And maybe he had.

"You've finally come," Jack said.

Rumpelstiltkin stepped over the rubble of the blasted wall and entered the castle. "Thought I'd make an explosive entrance."

Jack removed his hood, revealing a bald, moon-colored head. He had changed even more since Rumpel had seen him, haggard and wiry. The curse seemed to have been weakening him rather than making him stronger. Perhaps, Rumlepstiltskin thought, this was going to be an easier fight that he anticipated.

"You want the girl?" Jack said.

Rumpel shook his head. "No. I want _you_."

Jack chuckled. "You think you can kill me with that little party favor?" He pointed to his chest. "I'm a _god_!"

It was Rumpel's turn to smile. He held the wand in Jack's direction. "Even gods have their weaknesses."

Light shone through the hole in the castle, bathing the two competitors in a golden glow. Jack took his robe off, his body a thin piece of chalk with blue, wriggling veins. He raised his hands and clapped them together, a seismic wave rippling through the castle, knocking Rumpelstiltkin from his feet. Jack laughed at the puny mortal.

"I've been practicing, you see."

Rumpel shakily got to his feet. "You've had a week. I've had lifetimes."

Jack lowered his head, eyes burrowing into the man before him. "Show me."

0000000

Glissa had lost track of her way. She only had a torch to guide her through the dark hallways of the cold dungeon, her heart guessing the rest of the way as it pounded in her chest. Sweated beaded her forehead and her mouth was as dry as sand. It was hard enough finding her way _out_ of the dungeon—at least then, she could take descending stairs and feel the cool breeze of the outside world. But twisting through the passages, searching the empty cells for a girl she didn't even know, felt damn near impossible.

The ceiling shook with clatter from above. Rumpelstiltskin must have arrived, must have been dueling the Dark One as she walked. Glissa picked up her pace, her hand trailing along the grimy brick walls. She ducked under spider webs and torches. "Belle!" she called. "Belle, where are you?"

Glissa stopped. Only her voice echoed back to her. The hall on either side was dark, endless. She squeezed the vial in her hand tightly, wondering if she shouldn't just use it for herself and get out of this nightmare. But she had made a promise. And she wasn't the type of girl to abandon people.

Glissa pressed on, calling out Belle's name. She turned a corner and stopped when she saw a faint white light in the distance.

"_Here . . . I'm here_!" a voice yelled.

"Belle?" Glissa ran towards the light. Part of her wondered if this wasn't a trick the Dark One had conjured, if maybe he had already defeated Rumpelstiltkin and was luring her into death.

"I'm here!" the woman yelled louder.

The light got brighter as Glissa ran, and she finally stumbled over a small hand mirror that shined that starlight. A face peered through the barred window of a nearby cell. "Please help me!" the woman cried.

Glissa picked up the mirror. "Are you Belle?"

"Yes! Can you get me out?"

"Hold on." Glissa took a small velvet satchel from her belt and emptied the contents into her hand. Black dust with hints of silver shimmered in her pam. "Stand back," she instructed.

Belle did as she was told, and when Glissa blew the dust at the door, it turned to liquid and splashed to the ground. Belle laughed, amazed. Glissa held out her hand. "Come with me. Rumpelstiltskin sent me to bring you to safety.

Another explosion rocked the floor above them. Belle could only imagine the carnage that was happening. How could Rumpelstiltskin fight someone like Jack, anyway? Was he stalling until Belle got to safety? Was he sacrificing himself so she could make an escape?

"I-I can't go."

"You have to!" Glissa cried. She grabbed Belle's arm and dragged her out of the cell.

"We can't just leave him!"

Glissa uncorked the vial with her teeth and sprinkled the white liquid on the ground. The dirt bubbled and rose until a shimmering white portal appeared. She seized Belle's hand again. "We have to go through!"

"No, I'm not leaving him!" Belle yelled.

"Now!" Glissa used all her strength and yanked Belle into the portal with her. As they slipped through space, the ceiling above them caved in. The battle upstairs raged.

**To be continued**


	5. Bloodlines' Preview

**A/N: I haven't given up on Heartlines, but I'm in a bit of a writing rut, so I thought I'd try writing a scene from the sequel, Bloodlines, to get my inspiration going. Hopefully, it'll be worth it!**

* * *

Rosie stopped at the sound of crunching leaves and branches breaking underfoot. She took her backpack off, tired from hours of walking through the dark, seemingly endless forest. She should have stayed along the body of water, walked the shore towards the glittering castle in the distance, but somehow the forest seemed more inviting that being completely exposed along the water.

Until now.

Rose opened her backpack and pulled out her pepper spray, hoping her time submerged under water hadn't ruined it. She whispered her mantra that kept her sane and steady, "My name is Rose McLemmons. I live at 1442 Port Street at the Santa Monica Children's Home in California. I don't know where I am—"

_SNAP!_

A twig cracked in the near distance and Rosie whipped around to the noise. She held the spray up with a shaking hand. "Who's there?" she called.

The night shaded the tress in blackness. A low grumble was heard, like a washing machine from two flights below, or a trashcan being dragged up a driveway from the curb, or a wild animal . . .

Rosie gasped as an impossibly large wolf stepped into view. Its yellow eyes penetrated her and its fur stood on end as it eyed her closely.

"Oh, God," Rose whispered. She froze in fear. Her arm wouldn't lower, and even if she could will herself to use the pepper spray, it would no doubt be nothing but a gust of wind to this powerful creature.

The wolf snarled and snapped its teeth. Rosie jumped as it trotted nearer. "My name is Rosie McLemmons," she whispered. "I don't know where I am . . . I don't know where I am . . . oh, God, please—"

"Red, stop!"

Rose yelped and turned around at the voice. An old woman appeared through the dark trees, a crossbow in one hand and a red cloak draped over the other. She looked kindly enough, with small glasses and a peasant's dress, but her scowl gave her away as a woman who didn't take shit from anyone.

Rose threw her hands up in the air, dropping the pepper spray, and cried, "My name is Rose McLemmons! I-I live at 1442 Port Street at the Santa Monica Children's Home in California! Please don't hurt me! I don't know where I am!"

The old lady cocked her head to the side, her face twisting in confusion. She lowered the crossbow and motioned to the beast still hovering by Rose. "It's all right, Red. Come here."

The gigantic wolf padded towards the white-haired woman and sat obediently by her side. "Here," the old woman said, tossing the red cloak over the wolf, "maybe you can make sense of this girl."

The cloak shimmered and Rose gasped as the wolf slowly morphed into a young woman. Her legs melted like candlewax into slender arms, and her long snout shrunk into a petite nose and large brown eyes. Rose staggered, feeling sick and afraid and horribly confused, as it this were a dream she couldn't wake up from.

The wolf, now a girl, stood with the cloak over her shoulders and held out her hands to Rose. "Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you."

Rosie stumbled backwards. "Wh-what are you?" she yelled. She tripped over her backpack and fell to the hard ground.

"I told you not to bring the crossbow, Granny." Red said to the old woman.

"Well, _excuse_ me for trying to protect my granddaughter!"

As the pretty young woman approached her, Rosie threw her hands across her face. "Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

"What's your name?"

Rose peeked through her fingers. The wolf-turned-woman named Red smiled kindly. She was a far cry from the murderous beast who had stalked her earlier. Rose took her hands from her face and said, "Rose McLemmons."

"I'm Red. That's my granny." Red tossed her head towards the old woman, who only snorted.

Rose swallowed hard and dug her fingernails into the black earth. "Can you tell me where I am?"

Red stood from her haunches and offered a hand to the teenager. "Why don't you come to our cottage for some tea? You look hungry."

Rose stared, baffled. A minute ago, she was wolf chow, and now this being wanted her to come into for crumpets? "How do I know you won't, like, murder me?" she asked.

Red shrugged. "I guess you don't. But the only reason I was stalking you was because I needed to make sure you weren't a spy."

"A spy?"

"Red, it's getting late," Granny said.

Red smiled at Rose again. "You can trust us, I promise." She held her hand out again. "Please?"

Rose looked the woman up and down, then took her hand and clamored to her feet. She gathered her backpack up and hitched it over her shoulder. Rose followed Red and Granny through the trees, the full moon their only source of light to guide the way.

Eventually, they came upon a cozy cottage in a clearing. Smoke from the stone chimney and wild flowers were potted along the windows. It looked like a house from a German fairy tale. Red and Granny gave their visitor some bread with meat (Rosie didn't ask, but it tasted like deer), a mug of warm broth and cold water from the well. Rose ate greedily—she hadn't had anything but the granola bar from her backpack since this morning—and when she was done, she sat by the fire to warm her hands.

Granny settled into her rocking chair and knitted. Red sat next to Rosie by the hearth, an excited smile on her face. Rose could tell the woman was starved for strange company. "Where do you come from?" Red asked.

"California."

Red's eyebrows crinkled into a 'v.' "Where's that?"

"Um. America? Look, either I'm dreaming, or I hit my head or something, because this place is . . ." Rosie looked around the cottage. There were no electrical sockets, no signs of modern life. "What is this place? Are you Amish or something?"

Red laughed. "I don't know how you got so lost, but you're in the Enchanted Forest."

Rose tilted her head down and gave an _are-you-kidding?_ look. "Enchanted Forest? Are you messing with me?"

"You're in Snow White and King James's territory. There's been some issues with security, so they asked me and Granny to—"

Rosie burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Red asked.

"You're kidding, right? Snow White? As in, poison apple and evil queen and seven dwarves and all that stuff?"

"So you _have_ heard of her. Where did you say you were from again?"

"Look, lady," Rose stood and Granny stopped knitting to look at her. "I don't know what kind of game this is, but where I come from, Snow White is a fairy tale. A story. So I'm either going crazy, or you're lying to me, or—"

"You can believe what you want, but it's the truth," Red said, standing.

"If anything," Granny said, "_you're_ the fairy tale, little girl. I've never seen clothes like that in my life."

Rose looked down at her ripped jeans and David Bowie t-shirt, a hand-me-down from her last foster sister, Katie. Suddenly, Rosie missed her shitty life at the Children's Home more than anything—at least there, she wasn't surrounded by people claiming to be fairy tale characters.

"Wait a minute," Rose pointed to Red. "The wolf. Granny. You're Little Red Riding Hood!"

"What, am I a story, too?" Red scoffed.

"Yeah! I mean, it's a little different than I remember, but—"

"I've had it!" Granny stood from her rocker and set the kitting on the chair. She marched to Rose and pointed her finger at the child. "You've got three seconds to tell me what you're doing trespassing on Snow White's land, or I'll throw you to the wolves."

"Granny, please," Red begged.

"I swear to God, I don't know how I got here!" Rose yelled. "I was at the beach having a cupcake for my birthday, and when I blew the candle out, this giant wave came up and just pulled me into the ocean! I woke up underwater, and when I came up, I saw a castle on this big cliff and—"

"How old are you?" Granny asked.

The question stopped Rosie. What, were they going to throw her a birthday party? "Sixteen."

Granny looked at Red, then turned for the table where Rose's backpack lay. She zipped it open and rummaged through.

"Hey, don't!" Rosie cried. "That's my stuff!"

"She could be lying," Granny said to her granddaughter. "She might be a spy for the Guild." The old woman pulled out Rose's mp3 player and sneered at it as if it were a slimy toad. "What the gods is this?"

"My iPod!" Rose yelled "It was a gift from my friend Maggie, now leave my stuff alone!" Rose yanked the backpack from the old woman's hands and the contents spilled onto the floor. Her sketchbook flipped open and Granny bent to pick it up.

Red helped Rose gather her things, inspecting them as curiously as her grandmother had. "You have strange magic," she said, holding up a yellow-wrapped tampon. "What kind of wand is this?"

"Oh my God, don't!" Rose snatched it away from Red's hands, blushing with embarrassment.

"Red?" Granny shook her granddaughter's shoulder. "I think you should take a look at this."

Rose and Red looked at the old woman, whose face was slack and her eyes staring at the sketchpad worriedly. Rose was about the lunge for it, but stopped when she realized how grave Granny's face was. Red stood next to her grandmother and looked at the drawing. She gasped, drawing a hand to her mouth, then looked at Rose.

"Did you draw this?"

Granny turned the pad around to the pencil sketch Rose had done of the mysterious woman with dark curled hair and a heart-shaped mouth. Rose was stunned it had survived her tumble into the sea. "Yeah, that's mine."

"Do you know this woman?" Granny asked.

Rose shrugged. "No. I mean, I dream about her, but—"

"We need to talk." Granny grabbed Red's arm and led her into the bedroom. The old woman took the sketchpad with her and Rosie sat around her strew items, the only thing left to remind her of home, completely baffled.

It wasn't even her best drawing. There were others in the sketchpad with more details, with colors and broad pencil strokes and squiggly lines that always made Maggie smile. Rose didn't understand why Red and Granny were so taken with the woman she didn't even know.

Granny and Red stayed in the room for about an hour. Rosie gathered her backpack together and hid it in the corner under a blanket to keep them from prying. She sat by the fire and yawned, exhausted and desperately needing a bath. Once in a while, Granny's voice rose as she spoke to her granddaughter, but after what felt like forever, the two finally came from the room. Red had an impossibly huge grin on her face and even Granny seemed a little giddy.

"We'd like to take you to meet Snow White and the king," Granny said. "Tomorrow at dawn."

Rose looked at Red, who practically shook with enthusiasm. "I don't get it," Rose said. "Why do you guys care so much about my drawing?"

Red and Granny looked at each other knowingly. "We think they can help you get home," Red said.


	6. Power

**A/N: I know this story is short, and it probably feels rushed, but I'm really excited to get working on the sequel. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Ch. 5

Belle woke up under water. She writhed in the wet darkness, her dress billowing then tightening around her. She opened her eyes and saw sunlight playing on the surface of the water. Belle kicked towards the light and emerged into air, gasping and sputtering for breath. She wiped her eyes and looked around. A cool mist caressed her face and the sun shone brightly. She could make out Lord Buckland's castle through the trees and down a large ravine. Behind her, Lumier Falls raged triumphantly.

"Glissa!"

As soon as her name was spoken, the young servant girl thrust her head from under water and panted for breath. "Help!" she cried, her head bobbing up and down in the water. "I can't swim!"

Belle lunged for the girl and caught her under her arms. She kicked towards the shore, the currant of the waterfall pushing them further towards the middle of the vast pool of water. When they finally reached ground, Belle threw the girl on shore and collapsed on the rocks. In the distance, a loud BOOM! Sounded from Lord Buckland's estate.

Glissa coughed and spit out water, then turned her head to Belle, her eyes wide with fear. "Are you all right, my lady?"

Belle nodded and shakily got to her feet. "I have to go back." She looked out at the horizon and puffs of smoke were billowing from the castle.

"No, my lady." Glissa turned over onto her back, catching her breath. "I promised to protect you."

"I don't need protection anymore!" Belle yelled. "_He's_ the one who needs me now."

"Belle, please—"

Belle took the magic mirror from her bodice, which had miraculously survived the trek underwater. Belle gazed at her own reflection, hair a sopping mess and eyes dark and tired. She knew there was only one way to truly stop Jack. Rumpelstiltskin might have been putting up a good fight, but if she didn't get that dagger, it would only be a matter of time before the fighting ended and her love was dead.

"Show me the dagger."

The mirror lit up in a blaze of green light, then shimmered to an image of Lord Buckland's bedroom. In a cabinet by the window, the dagger lay perched on a throw pillow, as guarded as a simple vase or piece of jewelry. Jack probably never anticipated anyone would dare come looking for it.

Belle stuffed the mirror back in her bodice, then frisked Glissa for the white potion. Glissa clutched her apron pocket where the rest of the vial was and scooted away from Belle.

"I cannot let you go back!" she said. "I gave my word!"

"Please, you have to let me!" Belle cried. "I can stop the Dark One!"

"He'll kill you!"

"If I sit by and do nothing, he'll kill Rumpelstiltskin. And the rest of me will die with him."

Glissa stared at the beauty. She had never seen so much love in a person's eyes, so much desperation and hope. If Glissa could ever experience even a fraction of what these two felt for each other, she supposed she would risk her life to protect it, as well. The young maid took the vial from her pocket and handed it to Belle.

"Be careful, my lady."

Belle grabbed the potion and nodded. "Thank you." She stood, poised to sprinkle the last of the magic on the ground, then turned to Glissa and said, "Go north beyond the falls. My father's estate is two miles off. Find Lord Maurice, tell him what's happening. He'll come."

"What if—"

"You can do this. I have faith."

Glissa didn't know why, but she reached out and hugged Belle. Maybe it was the young woman's optimism, or her bravery, or the fact that no one had even believed in her so much, but Glissa knew she would be in debt to Belle and her lover for years to come.

"Courage, my lady."

Belle smiled weakly and touched Glissa's cheek. "And to you."

They gave each other one last nod, one last squeezed on the shoulder, then parted for their respective journeys. Belle threw the rest of the potion on the ground and stepped into the white, blinding threshold. Glissa looked over her shoulder in time to see Belle disappear into the ground. When the portal was gone, evaporating like steam from a cup of tea, she turned and ran through the forest to Lord Maurice's castle.

0000000

Rumpelstiltskin flew through the air, landing on a table with a hard thud. His fall broke the furniture in half, as well as a bone in his arm, he was sure. Through the blinding pain, he managed to hobble to his feet and raise the fairy wand.

Jack laughed. "You don't give up, do you?"

Rumpel shook his head. "Never." He flicked the wand and a beam of light shot from the end, piercing the Dark One and sending him skidding across the marble floor by his feet. The light pinned him against a wall, but Jack pushed it away as easily as a chair and hurled the ball of light towards Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpel ducked behind the broken table in time for the light to hit the wall behind him.

"You'll have to do better than that, Rumpel!"

Rumpelstiltskin fumbled in his satchel and pulled out a vial of purple liquid. He poured it onto the ground and touched the tip of his wand to the puddle. The potion stretched and climbed across the floor like broken streams, reaching for Jack's feet until it found him and wrapped around his legs. The Dark One was glued to the floor, but only for a few precious seconds.

Rumpel charged at Jack and thrust the wand like a sword. A bolt of green lightning shot from the tip and entered the cavity where Jack's heart once lay. Jack cried out in pain and fell on all fours. The purple streams on his legs gave way and he crawled from their grasp.

"You think you can destroy me?" Jack panted. He stood, his knees shaking. "We both know you can't."

Rumpel held the wand up, poised to strike. He shoulder ached and the broken bone in his arm throbbed in dull, hot pain. He had more bruises than he could count and a large gash on his head, but his will to save Belle kept him on his feet. He prayed Glissa had gotten her to safety.

"You ought to give up, Rumpelstiltskin," Jack continued. He circled around his opponent and Rumpel followed his gaze. "If she can learn to love one beast, she can learn to love me."

"Beast is too good a word for you," Rumpel said through gritted teeth. "You're a plague. You're still a scared little boy."

"And yet, I hold all the power!" Jack chuckled. "I can move the stars and the sea. I can re-order time so Belle will never even remember your name." Jack leaned in behind Rumpelstiltskin and whispered, "I can make you die a thousand deaths, each worse than the last."

Rumpelstiltskin whipped around and faced Jack. "You may hold all the power in the land, but you'll never have what I have. Love."

"Love comes in many forms." Jack smiled. "I can make her do as I please."

Rumpel raised the fairy wand to strike a magical blow to Jack, but the Dark One grabbed him by the throat and squeezed.

"You fool! I'm indestructible! Nothing can stop me!"

"There's one thing that can!" a voice cried.

Both men looked to the broken, crumbling staircase. Belle was on the last step, the jagged dagger in her hands, pointed directly at Jack. "Release him," she said.

Jack tossed Rumpelstiltskin on the ground, a sneer curling his lips at the sight of her. "My dear," he said. "Where on earth did you come from?"

"I command you, stay where you are!"

Jack froze suddenly, halted by an unseen force. He looked at his legs, his still hands, then back at Belle. "What are you doing?"

Belle ran to Rumpelstiltskin from the staircase. She knelt to his side as he gasped for breath and held him up. "Are you all right?"

Rumpel looked at her and smile. He touched her cheek. "You came for me."

Belle returned the smile. "So did you."

Rumpelstiltskin caressed her cheek, tears in his eyes knowing that this would all be over soon and they could finally be together.

"Belle, listen to me—" Jack began.

"Quiet!" Belle cried. She stood and pointed the dagger at Jack. "You're in my command now."

"You don't have to do this!" Jack yelled. "You feel the dagger's power, don't you?"

Belle looked at the blade in her hand. It _was_ intoxicating. Even though the dagger was just a vessel for magic, it felt like a strong heartbeat, and extension of herself, a seduction she couldn't ignore.

"Belle, don't listen to him." Rumpelstiltskin got to his feet and stood behind her.

"We can rule together," Jack said. "You can lord over me. You can control my every move. Isn't that what you've always wanted? Power?"

Belle glanced back at Rumpel's pleading eyes. If she went with him, she would be his for the rest of her life, following orders of a court and under the watchful eye of her father. She would never know this kind of power again, this kind of domination over another that was, truly, invigorating.

But the way Rumpelstiltskin looked at her made all those possible outcomes bearable. She realized that she could be locked in a tower for the rest of her days and die happy, knowing Rumpelstiltskin was there for her, loving her and protecting her.

There was no love with Jack. Only greed and darkness.

"I command you to be silent," Belle instructed.

Jack opened his mouth to yell out, but nothing came. He struggled against the magic holding him in place, wriggling and straining like a worm under someone's boot. Rumpelstiltskin put his hand on Belle's shoulder, then pointed the fairy wand at Jack. A coil of chains wrapped around the Dark One, puny under normal circumstances, but with the blade's holding power, they would keep him contained.

Belle lowered the dagger, then turned to Rumpel. She dropped the dagger on the floor and wrapped her arms around his neck. Rumpelstiltskin hugged her tightly, burrowing he head in the crook of her neck.

"Oh, my darling," he whispered.

Belle wept, finally free of the monster Jack, finally able to fall into the arms of the man she loved without abandon.

"It's all right," Rumpel said. He stroked her hair and kissed her tear-stained cheeks. "Shh, it's all right."

"I love you," Belle said.

Rumpelstiltskin smiled, tears welling in his eyes. "I love you too, Belle. I've always loved you."

Belle buried her head in his chest, letting him rock her and whisper soothing words in her ear until she finally had enough strength to look him in the eye. "What do we do now?" she asked.

0000000

There was no way to kill the Dark One, not without acquiring his powers. And since Rumpelstiltskin had no desire to return to that cold, empty space, they ushered Jack into a carriage from the stables and rode to Lord Maurice's castle some miles away. Rumpelstiltkin held Belle's hand throughout the journey. She kept one hand safely on the dagger, glancing back every so often at the imprisoned Dark One. He stared back with icy vengeance.

At Lord Maurice's, Belle's father was just gathering his troops when Rumpelstiltskin's carriage pulled into the gates. Glissa watched from a window of the castle, having been picked up by one of Maurice's guards on the road. She had been worried that no one would believe her tale, but with the arrival of Rumpelstiltskin and Belle, she could finally breathe with relief.

There was a fury of activity in the courtyard. Glissa watched from her perch as Belle was whisked away by her father's men. Rumpelstiltskin was also led away by a different set of guards. The pair desperately clutched each other's hands until they were forced apart. Handmaid's scurried down the hall behind Glissa and more soldiers appeared in the court yard.

Glissa took refuge in the scullery. The cooks were busy making food for Belle's return, laundering sheets and dresses and gossiping wildly about Rumpelstiltskin.

"Never thought we'd see her again," a stocky maid said as she beat bread dough. "Bet Rumpelstiltskin had a good go at her."

"Don't talk about him like that!" Glissa yelled. The maids, even the cook, looked at her, bewildered. "Rumpelstiltskin is a kind and good man! He saved Belle from the Dark One."

"He _is_ the Dark One, lovey," the mustached cook said.

"Not anymore," Glissa replied.

"One good deed don't save a man from eternal sin," the bread-making maid said.

"It's a start," Glissa argued.

She stomped out of the kitchen, tired of their ignorance and gossip, and wound through the halls of the castle until she found another window to the courtyard. The guards were loading the Dark One into a caged carriage. He was still under the enchantment, silent and still as the grave. Footsteps sounded behind her and Glissa turned around. Lord Maurice approached her, his face a mixture of glee and exhaustion. He gave her a nod of thanks. Glissa nodded back. She turned to the window again.

"Where are they taking him?" she asked Lord Maurice.

"To a prison in the mountains," the old man said.

"Will it really contain him?"

"Not to worry," Maurice said. "We're keeping the dagger in a safe place. That monster will never be seen again."

Glissa turned slowly and asked the Lord, "And Rumpelstiltskin? What of him?"

Maurice sighed. "Come with me, girl. I'll need you as a witness."

0000000

Rumpelstiltskin wasn't put in a prison as he fear, but a room on the third floor with rich tapestries on the wall and tall bookshelves. The windows overlooked a lush garden, brining plenty of light into the room, and Rumpel guessed this must have been Belle's favorite place in the castle. Rumpelstiltskin sat in a red armchair by the unlit fireplace, hand folded neatly in his lap. Before giving the fairy wand over to the guards, he had patched himself up—healing his broken arm, his cuts and bruises, even tidied up his suit. It was the least he could do in the presence of a Lord.

There was a scuffle of feet outside the room, servants and soldiers no doubt brining order to a chaotic castle. The doors to the room burst open and Belle entered. Rumpelstiltskin stood and let her leap into his arms. She held him close, hugging his neck as if letting go would mean he would disappear.

"Did they hurt you?" she asked breathlessly.

They parted and Rumpel stroked her cheek. "No, I'm fine. What about you?"

Belle rolled her eyes. "They've got a bath for me and a dress lay out. It's like I never left." She pursed her lips, tears blurring her vision. "They're sending Jack away now. What if they send you away, too?"

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes lowered, then he looked her stoically in the face. "I may not be the Dark One anymore, but I still have to answer to my crimes. I'll pay whatever price is necessary for redemption."

Belle shook her head vigorously. "If they send you away, I'll follow! I won't lose you again!" She pulled him into another embrace.

As pained as he was, Rumpel, stroked the back of her head and kissed her. "It'll be all right, my love."

The doors opened once more and Lord Maurice entered with two armed guards and a nervous-looking Glissa. Rumpel parted from Belle's embrace but held her hand.

"Leave us, Belle," her father instructed.

Belle shook her head. "No. I'm staying."

Maurice turned to his guards. "Wait out in the hall."

The guards nodded and left the room. Glissa sat on a chaise between a pair of bookshelves and waited for the scene to unfold.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Maurice said, "you are wanted throughout the land for crimes against the kingdom."

Rumpel nodded. He released Belle's hand and approached Lord Maurice. He surprised even Belle by kneeling and bowing his head. "I will take whatever punishment is necessary."

"No, wait!" Belle cried. She went to her father and touched his arm. "Papa, please! He's not the person he was. He's a good man."

"It's true, sir," Glissa chimed. "He risked his life for Belle's."

"The law is the law, Belle," Maurice said. "I can never forgive him for taking you away from me."

"He didn't take me away!" Belle cried. "I came willingly. He never harmed me, Papa, I swear!"

Maurice stared at his daughter, then looked at Glissa. "Can you confirm his innocence?"

Glissa stood and lowered her head respectfully. "Sire, I cannot speak for his innocence before the curse was broken. But I've seen the way he looks at Miss Belle, and I know he would gladly move mountains for her happiness."

Maurice looked at the humble Rumpelstiltskin. Even he had to admit the man seemed changed.

"I love him, Papa," Belle said. "And if we can't be together here, I'll find a way for us to be together elsewhere. Even if I have to join him in a prison cell."

Lord Maurice sighed deeply. He took a seat on an armchair by the writing desk and rubbed his forehead worriedly. "I can't lose you again, Belle. Not even to a human."

Belle knelt by her father's side and took his hand. "If you don't pardon him, you'll lose me anyway. Please, Papa."

Maurice worried his lower lip, his eyes darting to Rumpelstiltskin and Glissa and back to his daughter. He finally stood and went to the kneeling Rumpelstiltskin. "Do you swear on your life to protect my daughter?"

Rumpel slowly raised his eyes to the Lord. "I swear, sir."

"Do you swear not to keep her from me?"

"Never again, sir."

Lord Maurice sighed through his nose. "Rise, Rumpelstiltskin."

The kneeling man stood and looked Belle's father square in the eye.

"We owe you a debt for delivering us the Dark One." Maurice shot a glance at his daughter. "You have my blessing to be with my daughter."

Belle was in Rumpel's arms before Maurice even finished his sentence. She kissed him and hugged him tightly. Glissa smiled from her corner of the room.

"I warn you, Rumpelstiltskin," Maurice said. His grave tone made the pair part their embrace. "Others won't be so forgiving of your past crimes."

Rumpel nodded. "I understand. I'll do everything I can to redeem myself."

"If there's the slightest chance Belle could face danger—"

"I will ensure her safety. You have my word."

Lord Maurice held his hand out. Rumpelstiltskin shook it tightly, guaranteeing his commitment. The deal was struck, and would be upheld for as long as Rumpelstiltskin lived.

0000000

Later that evening, when Jack had been carted off to his prison in the mountains, when Belle finally took a bath and changed into a clean pink dress with roses along the collar, she took a turn through the garden with Rumpelstiltskin. Being mortal now, he was no longer able to snap his fingers and conjure a new suit, so he had to suffer through a bath and a shave like a mortal man.

Scrubbed, dressed, and deliriously happy that her love wasn't in chains, Belle's held his arm and leaned on his shoulder as they strolled through the garden.

"Are you sure you don't mind being with a fugitive?" Rumpel asked her.

Belle smiled. "I always _did_ want to see the world."

"Well, lucky for us, I have a castle filled with spun gold to last us a while."

Belle giggled. They stopped along the rose bushes where the red and pink flowers were just beginning to bloom. The luscious sweet scent filled Belle's lungs and she sighed happily. "What do you think? A game of Gimlet's Grab and a cup of tea."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled, then looked to his left at the roses. "I have a better idea." He plucked a rose from one of the bushes, dodging the thorny stem, and held out the crimson flower to Belle. He got on one knee. "Belle . . . I love you more than anything."

Belle out her hands over her mouth and gasped.

"I would give you the world just to hold your hand for a few moments." He swallowed nervously, his mouth going dry, then said, "Will you marry me?"

Tears sprang in Belle's eyes and she nodded. "Yes, of course I will!" She got to her knees and wrapped her arms around Rumpelstiltskin. He tucked the flower in her hair and kissed her softly on the mouth.

_You have a great destiny, Belle. . ._ the Blue Fairy had said.

Belle kissed her new fiancé and hugged him tightly.

_You will bear a child someday that will have an extraordinary gift . . ._

Belle rested her head on Rumpelstiltskin's shoulder, remembering the Blue Fairy's words with a tinge of trepidation.

_When the time comes, you'll know what to do_.

But now was not the time to worry about such things. She had a wedding to prepare, lands to discover, a wedding night to look forward to. All else would fall into place later.

_Trust your heart_.

**END**

**To be continued in the sequel 'Bloodlines.'**


End file.
